Entries from January 31st, 2014

Jan 31, 2014

This year, we want to show you more of the fun and amazing people behind the EQ3 brand, so we’re giving our monthly Instagram round-ups a new spin! We asked all of our store staff and everyone working with us at the head office to send us their January fave’s. We thought we’d share a few with you.

If you’re longing for a winter escape, check out Amar, Katherine and Tiffany’s travel grams (and maybe sign up for this contest on the EQ3 Facebook Page). Then, get lost in Heather’s cat selfie and Alex’s cat gram, which are proving to be a great distraction from work today. Finally, consider Monica’s words over the weekend. Come Monday morning, you just might find an excuse not to go into the office! Happy weekend, everyone.

Jan 30, 2014

Winnipeg is known for its quirky festivals and unique cultural events, but there’s something really intriguing about events like RAW:almond, which have an almost unnatural ability to nudge people out of their homes on the coldest nights of the year to celebrate local talent and culture. Now in its second year, RAW:almond (#riverpopup) is a three week pop up restaurant erected on the frozen water at the historic meeting point of the Red River and Assiniboine River.

Joe Kalturnyk (Director of RAW Gallery of Architecture and Design) and Mandel Hitzer (Chef at Deer+Almond) are the creative visionaries behind RAW:almond. We dropped by the river pop up one morning, earlier this week, to chat with Joe about the festival, the structure’s design and what the future holds for this frozen gem.

Joe Kalturnyk, Director of RAW Gallery of Architecture and Design and co-visionary of RAW:almond

EQ3 In your own words, how would you describe the RAW:almond experience?

JOE KALTURNYK It’s an adventure – for, I think everybody. For my team. For Mandel’s team. For the servers and the patrons.

EQ3 So you’re in your second year. What initially inspired the concept?

JK We had both been doing something similar, some years back, and it was just a matter of getting a hold of Mandel and saying “hey why don’t we merge what we’re both doing.” He was doing secret dinners. I was doing pop up art galleries. And we thought, you know, this could be a really interesting new project.

Cyrus Smith is a painter-artist, and also a renowned chef. I knew him from the art world. I said “hey Cyrus, I have this idea. We should meet.” We met at the patio during The Fringe (theatre festival), and just said “yeah I’m thinking about this, what do you guys think?” They said “yeah, that sounds really cool. Where should we do it?” I had some ideas. They had some ideas. And then, I think at the table, we just decided that we’re doing it on the river.

I was thinking about it yesterday, we had such weird impressions of what this would be. Like, we had weird impressions that nobody would come, so we wouldn’t do anything on Monday or Tuesday. Wednesday maybe some soup. We just thought this would not be popular and nobody would be that interested, but maybe on the weekend some people would come. So it started gaining, I guess, momentum, and I can’t remember when the decision was made that we were actually going to do dinner every night, but once we found out that 3 weeks was our license, we thought maybe he (Mandel) needed someone to help him, because three weeks is a long time to do it by yourself. So he called in some friends, and called some more friends, and that’s how it turned into the kind of festival that it is.

EQ3 Interesting that the idea was formed in the summer, during The Fringe Festival.

JK Yeah, for me, I had been thinking about it for a bit. I am always interested in sort of nomadic architecture – temporary architectures – and, I was interested in different ways of programming this kind of space. I used to be a scaffolder, so I know this material and I find it very fascinating and a beautiful material in its own simplicity. Simple to make, simple to put up and take down. I mean, I taught my teammate who helped me in a few days and he’s up there doing what a professional scaffolder would do. So it’s such a beautiful material. Then I thought, “okay, well I want to explore this material further” and I’m thinking we could make an interesting shape…we could do all this other stuff. It could be a meeting of architecture and food…sort of push those avenues. Yeah, so it had been bubbling for a bit, but not really concrete. And then we had that meeting and it was like “yeah this could be really good. Let’s do it.”

EQ3 What was your vision for this space?

JK I always start from the inside-out. I’ll place the table. And, I’ll place the kitchen and the lounge table and see how much space I need. So it really grows out of the necessity of getting people around a long table. We decided to do the kitchen inside this year, and do it a little more professionally, a little more finished. So that was a parameter. Then there’s all the environmental stuff, like it’s got to shed whatever amount of snow load that we get. It get’s quite heavy. It’s also got to be protected and strong enough to resist those 80 km winds we get. So those are some of the things that I’m always thinking about, in tangent of trying to come up with a form.

At first, I was thinking of doing platonic shapes, just to be, I don’t know, slightly ironic because they’re not overly clever. But then I thought “the problem with those is that I know what that looks like.” I can imagine what that would look like. The Geodesic Dome, it’s just outside (a partially built structure located close to the dining tent) and you can imagine what it’s going to look like in there. And, I kind of want to be challenged too, so I thought “what if I took a form and twisted it in space.” Ultimately, I wouldn’t know all of the parameters. I know the beginning and end, but I never know what’s going to happen in between. I thought that would be an interesting challenge. So I started that, and what I found was quite fascinating. Then I had to scale it back so it was a little more buildable. What I thought was really nice – it was a joy for me to build and see it come to fruition – is by just setting up that one parameter, every time you brace it, or every time you do something to make it stronger, it creates its own wave formation.

JK Obviously the food is a major component. I wouldn’t say it’s the only component, and that’s what I really wanted to emphasize this year. It’s an entire sensorial haptic experience: your nose, your ears, your eyes, (and) your taste buds.

I’m not interested in giving people stuff that is super esoteric, I really just wanted to bring some of the elements of my favourite artists to the table. So that’s a James Turrell inspired hallway (Joe points to the entrance’s corridor), where you’re just bathed in pure light. And you can change it, and it changes the atmosphere and the mood in here when it’s changed. The hallway very gradually contracts or expands, depending on which way you’re going, and the fun thing about it is that you kind of lose your body in that space. You kind of feel like you’re floating through it because it’s getting wider, like the 2001 Space Odyssey in the tunnel, where all of a sudden things are just opening up.

We’ll be projecting films and, I don’t know, maybe we’ll have some sound…have it cut in and out. Because it’s not really about watching a film and eating, but it’s more about being immersed in a different kind of cultural atmosphere. It’s all local artists and local filmmakers. It’s really about showcasing our talent here. That’s really my goal as a director and in this project, to not only showcase local Winnipeg talent, but also bring stuff to the table that perhaps is blasé in London because they’ve seen it a thousand times, but maybe it hasn’t come here and they’re still wonderful experiences to have.

EQ3 What are your plans for the future with RAW:almond? Do you have plans for this to continue?

JK Yeah, this year is our year of investing. So we’ve been investing in more permanent goods, rather than last year, when we rented most things. I’m going to turn this over into an international competition. We’re writing the parameters now, like it can only be this much volume and it has to accommodate this table, and we’ll see what happens…see what comes out.

So that’s on my end. And, then I know Mandel’s always searching to bring more talent to Winnipeg. We’ve got 5 or 6 people being flown in (this time), so we’re just going to keep growing.

RAW:almond opened January 24th in Winnipeg and runs through to February 13th. We’re taking in the river pop up’s tasting bar this Friday night and will capture the evening on EQ3’s Instagram feed. Also, check back for a full recap of the experience here on the blog next week!

Jan 28, 2014

Blogger's StyleComments Off on Blogger’s Style: Roan Barrion from ModernLove20

Roan Barrion is EQ3’s January Blogger of the Month! Roan has worked as a vintage design dealer for the past 12 years. He runs an online gallery called Modern Love, which started out specializing in the work of Charles and Ray Eames, and later evolved into an international collection of premium 20th Century design and decorative art. Roan also curates an ever-growing collection of inspirational images for his widely read Tumblr blog ModernLove20.tumblr.com.

“The Eames® Wire Base Low Table has been a staple in our home for over 10 years now. Thanks to the wire base and beveled plywood top, the table is both physically and visually light. It is a hugely versatile piece of furniture: beside a low profile lounge chair it becomes an occasional table to rest my coffee and magazines; add a pillow and it becomes a small ottoman; placed side by side in multiples, it becomes a modular coffee table; pull it up to any existing coffee table and it becomes quick seating for a children’s play/drawing/coloring station.

Probably my favorite aspect of the Eames® Wire Base Table is its history. I think of the archived photos of a 1951 tea ceremony the Eames hosted with Noguchi and Charlie Chaplin, and how prominent a role the table played in that important event. I see the cross-brace in the wire base, and personally (probably as a result of having studied the Eames’ oeuvre for so long) I see a subtle reference to the exterior turnbuckle cross-bracing of Case Study House number 8, a.k.a. the Eames House. It really is a great piece, an enduring design that will always have a place in our home.”

Jan 23, 2014

We recently came across an essay from Herman Miller, titled “Sit. Stand. Move. Repeat.,” discussing the importance of moving throughout the work day. It’s an interesting article that will leave you questioning the amount of time you spend sitting at the office. Herman Miller is not suggesting we abandon our desk chairs and stand all day (this would have its own health risks), they’re simply showing the benefits of a flexible work environment, one that moves with you as you go about your day.

Ten years after creating the award-winning Mirra Chair for Herman Miller, the Berlin-based designers of Studio 7.5 are once again advancing the way we sit. Mirra 2 moves as you do, at one with your body.¹ The chair is leaner and lighter than it’s earlier model, and responds to even the slightest of movements, supporting you wherever you go.²

In addition to advancing the chair’s technology, Studio 7.5 and Herman Miller also worked to reduce the chair’s environmental impact: it’s up to 93% recyclable and made with 46% recycled content.³ Even through all of these changes, Studio 7.5 has stayed true to their original vision – to create a chair that could react to what people do.

Jan 21, 2014

We’re really excited about EQ3’s new Spring Collection. A few pieces have already made their way into EQ3 stores, and the majority will follow over the next few weeks and months. The collection features natural and textured materials like solid wood, felt, wool, cotton and linen and focuses on “comfortable, wholesome, natural products,” says Madi, EQ3’s Casegood Product Development Coordinator.

We celebrate new products every fall season with EQ3’s annual catalogue, but this year, that seemed just too long to wait. And so, the decision was made to create a supplemental catalogue – a printed publication introducing some of our newest furniture and accessories, as well as items already in stores that fit perfectly into the spring season and a more relaxed way of living. Our in-house photographer, creative director, senior graphic designer and visual coordinator met together last week for the catalogue photoshoot. We joined them on set in an unfinished loft in Winnipeg’s Exchange District to capture some behind the scenes footage of the 3-day shoot. As luck would have it, Day 1 was bitterly cold and windy (our iPhone showed a windchill of -32 degrees celcius). Brrr…nothing like shooting the spring catalogue with a blizzard outside. Thank goodness for indoor plants!

Keep on reading for more fun photoshoot tidbits.

Thom (Creative Director) used a Mamiya 645 medium format camera to help communicate the framing of some photos with our photographer, Charles. The camera acted as a viewfinder for Thom, since he’s better versed in film photography, than digital.

Sketches that Thom drew up in preparation for the shoot.

Cliff (Visual Coordinator) put together the new Tessa Mod Shelf himself. So simple.

The mess that accumulated just beyond the camera lens, and continued to grow as the shoot went on.

Cliff went on a plant run the morning of Day 1…in the blizzard.

Thom propped the Tessa Mod Shelf with books the team brought in from home.

Cliff continued playing around with the arrangement, filling with plants, vases, bowls and more books.

Charles (Marketing Photographer) and Thom had fun with a bolt of Marimekko’s new fabric.

The new Farmhouse table was brought in for the shoot and looked great in the loft’s minimalist interior.

It may not look like much here, but from overhead this dining lifestyle image looked delicious.

Boys with their toys. Charles and Thom compared cameras over coffee break.

Charles used exposed ceiling pipes to suspend lighting over our table arrangement. The light was hung surprisingly low so it would look good for the shot.

The sun made an unexpected appearance towards the end of Day 1 and the team took full advantage of the light for our dining lifestyle image.

The Spring Catalogue will be available in the beginning of March. Stay tuned for more details!

About This Blog

Welcome to Inhabit!

At EQ3, we love to explore Canada's design, art and culture scene. And, we want to share that with you.

You'll find designer interviews, learn about different crafts, and discover new books and films to read or watch. You'll find other fun things too, like blogger home tours, music playlists, freebie printables, and contest announcements, as well as EQ3 behind the scenes footage, product intros and more.

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